The survivor.

Friday was a good day. At the house in town the under floor heating and new lights were installed in super quick time. The painter will come on Monday to finish off the job. Out at the cottage on the coast the conservatory is finished. The architect will come on Wednesday to sign off on it. Progress has also been made on the 'Cabin' which is now waiting for the wooden floor to be installed, the sedum roof to be planted and the stone steps to be built. Three more days and we should be there. 'The Font' is planning to move in by Friday. 

The university have started work on the piece of wasteland by the library. Some yellow metal Portacabins have been unloaded and aluminium fencing erected. We come past this spot three or four times a day on our way down to the beach or into town. This morning I glance up and catch sight of an unexpected miracle.

A tall exotic and luxuriant tree is enjoying the sunshine. It certainly doesn't look like the sort of thing that you'd expect to see in Scotland. I can only assume that the surrounding buildings provide shelter and a microclimate that enables it to thrive. Usually the winds from the North Sea would strip the blooms off anything like this in super fast time. It is quite the survivor.

In the garden by the chapel someone has been up early and laid a small bouquet of flowers on the memorial market of a student who died while studying here.  There's something timeless and comforting about these quiet old Celtic towns where friends and passers by are gone but never forgotten.

On a bench by the  harbour another floral tribute - this time a pot plant has been put out . The small brass plaque tells us it was a spot where an old golfer used to sit and watch the boats coming in.  Will the pot plant still be there this afternoon or will someone have walked off with it ?

Population change over the last three decades. People are moving from the bottom right corner to the  left. Switzerland and Norways populations up by a third !